Yu Xiaogang's arrival

Tang San's mind kept filling with the things others had said about his teacher, Yu Xiaogang.

Once someone entertained an idea, they would actively seek evidence to support their conjecture.

While Tang San was still lost in his tangled thoughts, Oscar had successfully absorbed his fourth Soul Ring.

"Only rank forty-two soul power?"

"A little less than I expected. I thought absorbing a Soul Ring beyond the age limit would raise my cultivation to rank forty-three in one go."

After checking his soul power level, Oscar murmured softly.

His words reached Tang San's ears, shocking him once again.

"Absorbing a Soul Ring beyond the age limit has benefits like this too!"

For an instant, Tang San felt as though he had grasped something.

Was gaining two ranks of soul power good?

How could it merely be good? It was more than anyone could ask for.

For many Soul Masters, even a year was not enough to gain two ranks of soul power.

Even a genius with innate full soul power needed half a year to gain two ranks, and that was before rank thirty.

"Perhaps Teacher really was wrong!"

Tang San looked at Oscar. For the first time, he felt directly that perhaps he no longer needed evidence. Oscar alone was enough to judge that Yu Xiaogang's theories amounted to nothing.

"Tang San, you're sure you don't want to obtain a Soul Skill for now, right?"

"If you're certain, I'll take you out of the Star Dou Great Forest first. Next, we need to hunt a Soul Ring for Old Zhao, which means heading into the core area. That place is truly a little too dangerous for you as you are now."

Just as Tang San's thoughts were running wild, Flender's voice reached his ears.

"Dean, I won't take part for now."

Tang San quickly made his decision.

Until he confirmed certain things, he would never feel at ease.

Besides, even without that business involving his teacher, he would not obtain his third Soul Ring for the time being.

Before leaving, Tang San looked toward the place where Oscar had just obtained his Soul Ring, that grove of ink jade bamboo.

When he had first arrived here, a very bold idea had come to him.

During their time here, he had also examined it carefully, but he had never found any definite traces.

Thus, it remained uncertain.

Still, this matter would have to wait until later. With so many people here now, even if he was lucky enough to verify it, the thing might not end up in his hands.

Afterward, Flender took them back to the town outside the Star Dou Great Forest.

Meanwhile, an uninvited guest had arrived at Shrek Academy.

Grandmaster, Yu Xiaogang!

"This isn't right!"

"This isn't what Flender told me!"

"Doesn't he cry poverty to me every day?"

Looking at the academy's buildings, Yu Xiaogang felt that something was strange.

Everything here was at odds with Flender's personality.

He knew how stingy that fellow was. Even if he had money, he would never spend it on this sort of vanity project.

"Could Flender have changed his ways over the years and learned to enjoy himself?"

Amid his puzzlement, Yu Xiaogang immediately focused his gaze on that villa.

The more he looked, the more satisfied Yu Xiaogang became.

Although the two detached courtyard houses beside the villa were also quite nice, they ultimately fell far short of the villa.

"Really, this Flender. Isn't it just that we haven't seen each other for so many years?"

"He even prepared a separate residence especially for me!"

After admiring the place, Yu Xiaogang began making his own assumptions.

His words expressed disapproval, but his face was full of pride.

At least Flender knew how to treat people.

Then Yu Xiaogang prepared to enter the villa and inspect it.

"Stop! Who are you?"

"Why are you trying to enter my big brother's villa?"

Just as Yu Xiaogang was about to move, an angry shout rang out beside his ear.

The newcomer was Ma Hongjun, who had just returned from the Soul Fighting Arena.

All the academy's teachers capable of fighting had gone to the Soul Beast Forest.

Only Shao Xin remained, cultivating in Oscar's detached courtyard house.

Over the years, Oscar had prepared plenty of resources for his teacher, and Shao Xin was not far from a breakthrough.

He had no time at all to concern himself with what was happening in the academy.

Aside from him, there were only two students in all of Shrek Academy.

Ma Hongjun and Ning Rongrong.

"Something entertaining to watch!"

Not far away, at the site of a villa under construction, Ning Rongrong saw Ma Hongjun getting into a dispute with an old man, and her interest immediately stirred.

During this period, Ning Rongrong had repeatedly tried to fit into the academy and join Oscar's circle, but she had never succeeded.

With her spoiled young lady's temper flaring, Ning Rongrong had already prepared to withdraw from the academy.

Just as she was about to leave in anger, Oscar found her and proposed a deal.

He wanted to purchase a large quantity of rare metals. Not only that, Oscar also promised her that once this deal was completed, he could give her the ability to fight head-on as well.

That was an enormous temptation for Ning Rongrong.

She had also, in a sense, found an opportunity to enter Oscar's circle.

That was why she had spent money to hire a construction crew from Suotuo City to build her own detached courtyard house in the academy.

At first, she had also wanted to build a villa like Dai Mubai's.

But after asking about the price of that villa, Ning Rongrong could only give up.

The spending money she had on her was nowhere near enough.

With no other choice, she had to settle for the next best thing.

She planned to build a detached courtyard house like Ma Hongjun's and Oscar's, though of a higher standard than theirs.

Out of selfishness and a little calculation, Ning Rongrong took advantage of Oscar and the others being away hunting Soul Rings to begin construction quickly, building her detached courtyard house beside Oscar's.

She would act first and report afterward. She simply did not believe that Oscar and the others could make her tear it down once they returned.

It was precisely because he had seen Ning Rongrong's construction crew that Yu Xiaogang mistakenly thought Flender had made these preparations to welcome him.

Otherwise, given Flender's personality, he would never go to such trouble and expense.

How could Ning Rongrong miss such an opportunity to watch the fun?

The Little Demoness side of her, suppressed for so long, began to erupt.

"You're a student at this academy, aren't you?"

"I'm a specially appointed teacher invited here by your dean, Flender."

Seeing Ma Hongjun blocking his way, along with his age and distinguishing features, Yu Xiaogang understood that this was the disciple named Ma Hongjun whom Flender had mentioned in his letters.

He would be part of the team with which Yu Xiaogang would prove himself in the future, so naturally, Yu Xiaogang needed to observe him carefully and see whether Ma Hongjun was truly as Flender had described.

"A specially appointed teacher?"

"What a joke. As Shrek Academy's next successor, how have I never heard of anything like this?"

"Besides, what qualifies you to teach us?"

Looking at Yu Xiaogang's utterly confident, perpetually lofty manner, Ma Hongjun felt a surge of anger.